Centre put on defensive in LS over Women’s Bill

Sonia’s extempore handling of the matter — she got up suddenly and wanted to know what was the Government’s real intention on the Bill — had both the Congress and the SP member on their feet.

It was her maiden intervention in the Lok Sabha. While the main Opposition party has been demanding the immediate introduction of the Bill, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav made it amply clear that they would even sacrifice their membership to ensure that the Bill was not brought in the House.

Sources in the Government, however, disclosed that the Bill is all set to be tabled in the House on Wednesday, the last day of the session. However, there has been no official announcement.

Former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar, however, advised caution. He suggested a consensus before introducing the Bill, as any hasty step would divide the House.

This was obviously not sufficient to douse the anger now raging in the Opposition benches. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pramod Mahajan promised the introduction of the Bill during the current session but did not specify whether it would be on Tuesday or the day after.

Mulayam held that the Bill must have a sub-quota for backward classes and minorities.

SP’s Dharam Raj Patel rushed to the well of the House to register his protest. He was admonished for this by the Speaker G M C Balayogi but to no avail. Soon the walkout took place.

Sonia reminded the House that only three days were left for the current session but there was still no sign of the introduction of the important legislation.

Meanwhile, aware that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is divided over the issue of support to the Women’s Reservation Bill, the Congress has upped the ante on the government by demanding that the Bill be introduced in the Lok Sabha immediately.

The party’s decision to raise the issue of the Women’s Reservation Bill was apparently taken by Sonia Gandhi herself at the CPP meet on Monday morning after it was clear that the government was dilly-dallying over it and planned to introduce it only on the last day of the winter session.

Moreover, it was felt that the issue was fresh since Sonia had, at a peace rally in the Capital on Sunday, reiterated her party’s commitment to bring about 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament, Vidhan Sabhas and Zila Parishads.

Party spokesperson Ajit Jogi told reporters on Monday that the Congress was committed to support the Women’s Reservation Bill in its present form or otherwise, adding that the party wanted the Bill to be introduced, discussed and passed in this session itself.